Abstract Body: PURPOSE: Hypertension and chronic kidney disease is known adverse effects of lead poisoning. However, there is limited evidence on the magnitude of the relationship between blood lead levels and kidney function, especially on a national scale. This study investigates the association of serum lead levels (Pb-S) with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).
METHOD: A national study of 6,789 adults, using NHANES 2017-2020 data, analyzed the correlation between Pb-S and eGFR. Participants were categorized into non-hypertension and hypertension groups based on self-reported for doctor diagnosis, with three linear regression models employed.
RESULTS: In our population, 35.6% have been diagnosed with hypertension, with 36.1% in males and 35.2% in females. The average SBP and DBP were 130.7 ± 17.8 mmHg and 77.6 ± 12.7 mmHg, respectively. The average Pb-S level was 1.04 ± 0.68 µg/dL, with 1.16 ± 0.72 µg/dL for males and 0.94 ± 0.63 µg/dL for females (mean difference 0.22 ± 0.02, P<0.001). Individuals with hypertension had higher mean Pb-S levels compared to those without hypertension (1.15 ± 0.70 vs. 0.98 ± 0.66 µg/dL; mean difference 0.17 ± 0.02, P<0.001). In the final adjusted model, eGFR declined by -1.28 (95% CI: -2.16 to -0.39) in the total group, by -0.35 (95% CI: -1.50 to 0.80) in the non-hypertension group, and by -2.50 (95% CI: -3.90 to -1.11) in the hypertension group, respectively (Fig 1).
CONCLUSION: The Pb-S is inversely associated with kidney function in adult hypertensive population in the United States Testing for Pb-S may be considered to especially in hypertensive patients with declined kidney function who are at risk for lead exposure or toxicity.